Original subtitles

Previously on "MasterChef"...

The final pressure test of the season.

Tonight, you'll have to replicate our three course menu.

Divide and conquer

is the essence of tonight's pressure test.

Zach and Michelle, how are we doing?

- Cake is in the oven. - I'm on the pasta.

- Let's go. - All right. We got this.

- This is exactly what we're looking for. - Oh, my God.

Nailing two out of three dishes,

congratulations, Zach and Michelle.

There is only one spot left in the top five duos.

Julio's already rolling his pasta.

I'm a little bit confused on the thickness.

Pasta is a little bit too thick.

Do not overcook those scallops!

- Good on the scallops? - Scallops are overcooked.

It's so raw.

It is one of the most technical desserts and you've nailed it.

The duo leaving "MasterChef" tonight is Adam and Joel.

- Tonight... - Oh!

- There it is. - It's the wall.

The duos take on a gigantic challenge.

The fearsome "MasterChef" wall.

You will have to cook two dishes

that look and taste identical.

However, you cannot see each other.

This is my worst nightmare.

Verbal communication will be the key to your success tonight.

- What is our first step here? - What?

- Half a cup! - What?

I can't hear you!

They'll need to be in total sync...

- Jessica! - What?

- The purée's at the top! - Jesse, wait for me!

They are on two different islands right now.

- I have no onion! - To earn their spot in the semifinal.

- They're definitely the same. - It's just miles apart.

- What a shame. - Boy, that's brutal.

Tonight is one of my favorite challenges.

- Look at that. Honestly. - Wow.

- This is gonna be epic. - Oh!

- Oh, no. - There it is.

It's the wall.

Ooh! The wall.

- Can you hear me? - Here we go.

- Tina! - It's enormous.

Oh, my God. It's the wall.

I mean, you can't see anything.

- It's a wall. - It's a wall.

It's a gargantuan wall.

- Yeah. - Wow.

The wall has taken down some amazing competitors.

Many of competitors that you thought...

Top runners that you thought would be in the finale,

the wall has defeated.

- So it's very, very scary. - This is gonna be chaos.

Oh, boy.

Whew!

Welcome back, everybody.

Thank you, Chef.

All right, well, tonight, just in case it wasn't obvious,

you all are facing down the fearsome "MasterChef" wall.

- Whoo! - Wow.

Tonight, you will not be cooking side by side

because you will be split up by the behemoth wall behind you,

which obviously means that you cannot see each other.

However, tonight we need you to make two identical dishes.

So verbal communication will be the key to your success here tonight.

We're looking for dishes tonight that are impeccable.

And more importantly, we want to see how well you know each other in the kitchen

even when you can't see what the other is doing.

Prove that you've got what it takes to make it into the semifinal.

Yes, Chef.

Okay, please turn around and put on your colored aprons.

- Oh, this is gonna be chaotic. - Oh, boy.

The wall for me is not scary.

I think that we have an advantage among the other couples

because 15 years we have been divorced.

We're so used to yelling at each other, you know?

It's normal communication for us.

Exactly. The thing that I like

is that gives me the excuse to yell at Azu for free.

Okay, guys, you will have one hour

to cook two dishes that look and taste identical.

Each duo will have five minutes in the pantry to plan their dish

and to gather all the ingredients they will need to pull it off.

You will not get any more time in the pantry after those five minutes.

And to make things even more challenging,

the pantry is stocked with a limited range of proteins.

So that protein is first come, first serve.

- Right, everybody ready? - Yes, Chef.

Good. Your time starts now. Off you go.

Oh, my God.

No, no, no, no.

- So we got the filet. - Go, go.

- Grab your basket. - Ooh!

Where is it?

- Yep, we got that. We got that. - Tina, talk.

- Okay. - We got to talk.

- Okay. - Yeah?

There is a rush to grab the protein,

and we wanted the filet mignon.

But we're left with venison loin.

Venison is something

that I've never done before,

and it's a little bit concerning.

If we were cooking this dish side by side, we can nail it easily.

But because we're gonna be shouting over the wall, it can be tricky.

We're gonna do a potato leek crusted snapper.

Let's go for a nice macha sauce. This goes with everything.

Maybe some mushrooms

- and some spinach. - Pancetta.

- Pancetta. Okay. - Three potatoes?

- Okay, three potatoes. Okay. - Stay together right now.

- Okay. - Three minutes until the pantry door closes.

- Shop for your ingredients, guys. - Okay, so we got the filet.

- Yeah. Okay. - Yeah?

Okay.

We're making a Vietnamese shaken beef.

This dish was passed down from my grandma

to my aunt and then now me.

Tina's got an idea on how to elevate it.

Traditionally, we serve it with rice,

but I think we're gonna do a fried noodle nest.

We have the noodles? We have everything for the sauce?

- Salad, salad! - Carrots, right here.

- Okay. - 60 seconds to go.

Please make sure you get all your ingredients.

Where's the spinach? Oh, right in front of my face.

- Pancetta. - Oh, beautiful. Or bacon.

- Pancetta. - Or bacon.

- Ten, nine... - Go, go, go!

- Let's go! - Tina, go. Go, go, go.

- Eight, seven, six... - Let's go.

- Zach! - Five, four...

- three, two, one. Out! - Come on, come on, come on.

Let's go! The pantry is closed, guys.

- We got this, mi amor. - Yes.

Okay, let's start with the potatoes.

- Okay! - Zach, are you there?

- Yeah! - I can't hear you very well at all.

- You need to be louder. - Yeah, I'm here!

- Okay. Do your sauce! You hear me?

- I hear you! - Jessica?

I can't hear you! Hold on. I'm coming back.

- Azu, boiling water? - Yes, I'm peeling the potatoes. I'm cutting the potatoes!

- Jeez, it's loud. - Do the sauce, please!

What? What did you say?

- Jess, I need you to speak up over the wall. - What's that?

- Speak up over the wall! - Okay.

I can't hear anything. Like, you're loud, but it's muffled.

I knew it was gonna be loud. I didn't know it was gonna be this loud.

- Can we cut the onion now? - Not yet. Not yet.

- Okay. Heard. - I'm working on the vinegar.

I know you guys said, you know, today was gonna be great.

This is my first wall. But this is crazy.

The energy, the screaming.

I've never quite experienced anything like this before.

This is the loudest I've ever known it to be.

Yeah, this is louder than usual.

Oh, is it? Oh, my goodness.

- I'm gonna toss you the carrots, Rachel. - Okay.

- Carrots incoming. There's more. - Yeah.

One at a time.

- Julio, no, I lost them. - Coming your way.

- Slowly! Julio, it's going too far. - Sorry.

- Jessica? Jess? - What?

I think bacon's a better choice, not the pancetta.

- It's too thin. - What?

I'm throwing the bacon over.

Oh, Jesse's throwing bacon over to Jessica.

- I'm throwing it over right now. - Just throw it.

Ready?

Oh!

One bacon.

- Jesse and Jessica, they cook together at home. - Sure.

I think they have a point of reference on what a plate should look like

- that will really help them tonight. - Right.

They may not be married, but they definitely have a history

- of eight years of cooking together every night. - Sure.

So I think there is a little bit of in sync that happens

- for them naturally. - Absolutely.

Zach, what is our first step here?

- What, babe? - Oh, my God, I literally cannot hear anything.

- So this should be fun. - Zach and Michelle,

they've been married for four years.

They do this seven nights a week together.

I think that their home life is a big advantage.

If they can pull a reference dish from their repertoire

and elevate it, they can win it.

But I feel like we've seen them struggle

with some of their emotions and confidence.

So hopefully they don't let that come between them right now.

- Sure. - Oh, my God.

- You got it, Aivan? - I hear you!

Tina and Aivan have a history of plates that run in their family.

They could refer to one of those and execute it tonight. They could win.

Sure, but sometimes Tina's difficult to get through to, right?

What's in the second sauce, Tina?

- Half cup sugar, half cup vinegar! - What?

And poor Aivan, with that delicate dainty voice

- can't be heard because of Tina drowning. - Drowned!

- Half a cup of sugar, Tina? - Half a cup!

- Heard! - I'm gonna go grab a lid for my water.

- Mine is almost boiling. - Rachel and Julio,

they've only been married for a couple of years, but they both are very strong.

Now whether they're gonna cook separately in sync, that's to be determined.

We are really loud. We're Latino. We're fiery.

So I'm not worried about that.

Javier, potatoes are big. So I'm gonna cut them really small, okay?

- Got it. - Azu and Javier, this is a tricky one.

They've cooked together before,

but how much have they really cooked together more recently?

Well, they have a 25-year history together.

- So they have references of dishes. - Sure.

They could look back and say let's do that one.

Listen, let's be honest. It's divorcées.

It's a free pass tonight to yell at each other, right?

10 minutes gone. 50 minutes to go.

- Michelle? - What?

I'm gonna get the tomatoes going first just so they cook up.

Salt the water!

You need to talk louder than that. I cannot hear you.

- I'm gonna get the tomatoes going. - Putting the potatoes

- in the water. - I literally can't hear you.

You need to speak louder.

Like, the loudest you've ever spoken in your entire life.

The potatoes need...

This is honestly my worst nightmare.

Zach! Sorry, you're gonna have to say that again.

- I'm gonna get the tomatoes going... - 350 grams.

I literally can't hear anything because everybody's so damn loud!

- Azu? - Javier!

- Julio. - Rachel.

- Aivan. - Tina.

- Jesse. - Jessica!

Okay!

- Do you want garlic on the mushrooms? - 350 grams!

- What did you say? - Tell me when you put the meat in, Tina!

- Garlic on the mushrooms? No! - Okay!

Zach, I literally can't hear anything

because somebody... everybody's so damn loud.

The potatoes need...

The wall is complete madness.

It's so much harder than I thought it was gonna be.

Michelle's talking. I can't hear her.

I'm sick of waiting to try to hear.

I'm just gonna have to use my intuition at this point.

We both know what we're doing here, babe.

So we don't need to talk a lot

until it gets time to plate it.

- Okay. - Crazy.

This is a tough one. Five dynamic duos cooking.

Sadly, for one of them, it's their last time inside the MasterChef kitchen.

So these dynamic duos need to be in sync.

Ay, yi, yi.

Azu, put the tortillas in the oven.

- I'm grilling them on the stove. - I can't believe it.

15 minutes gone. 45 minutes to go. Let's go!

- Azu, do you have an onion? - I have no onion.

I have no garlic. So I'm gonna improvise.

- Azu, are you okay? - Um, a little problem.

I don't have garlic. I forgot. I forgot.

- Does Javier have any garlic? - No, he doesn't have garlic.

- Okay. - But I know how to manage without it.

- Tell me about the dish. - So I'm gonna do a hamachi fish

- with a black mojo marinade. - And what are you doing with the tortilla?

Well, the tortilla is to give mojo flavor.

And then we're gonna do mashed potatoes

- and carrots and asparagus. - Right. What's the sauce?

That requires pumpkin seeds with peppers that are fried.

- Right. Okay. - Yes.

- So you're doing a pan-seared hamachi. - Yes, sir.

Just be careful. That fish can get really dry

- if you don't sear it properly. - Okay. Okay. Thank you, Chef.

Make sure that mash is nicely seasoned as well, yes?

- Yes. Yes. - Okay. Good luck.

Listen, listen! Forget about that!

- Okay. Azu, I got it. - All right bacon's rendering, right?

- Bacon is in the pan. - Right, Jessica, tell me about the dish.

- Jessica? - Yes, Jesse? I'm with Gordon.

- Did you cut the bacon? - I just put it in.

- Oh, my Lord. - Hi, Chef. I can't get a moment.

Oh, my goodness me. Tell me about the dish.

We are going to be doing a crispy skin trout

- on a butternut squash purée. - Nice. Right.

With some asparagus tips.

And then we're gonna do some sautéed kale with some bacon.

And then we're gonna do a citrus-y Dijon maple vinaigrette.

So you're gonna blanch the kale first before you braise them?

- Um, I'm not sure yet. My... - Okay. Just in terms of the flavor,

blanching, it keeps them nice and vibrant green.

If you start cooking from raw, then you lose that color.

So blanch the kale. Heard, Chef.

- Thank you, Chef. - Good luck.

- Jesse, listen to me. - Okay, you have your butternut squash on?

No, listen to me first. Gordon said to blanch the kale and then sauté it.

Okay.

30 minutes gone!

Let's go, guys. Halfway!

And for four dynamic duos, halfway to the semifinal.

- Halfway, Zach. - Julio!

- Talk to me. - What else now?

- Let's start working on the steaks. - All right.

- Hello, Rachel. - Hello.

- What are you making? - We're making a seared venison

with a nice creamy mashed potato, glazed carrots,

- and sautéed mushrooms and a wine sauce. - Wine sauce, okay.

It's really important that you burn the alcohol out of the wine.

Nothing worse than having a sauce that tastes like a glass of cabernet.

- Okay. - Who's leading in this dish?

- I'm gonna let him lead. - All right. Okay.

Now at 30 minutes,

shouldn't the carrots be cooking?

Ask Julio about the carrots

because those are pretty big carrots.

- Yeah. Julio! - Good luck.

- Yes? - We have to put the carrots.

- Okay, that's fine. Let's cook them in the pan... in the sauté pan.

- It's okay. Go. - Go!

Put oil in the pot, ready for the noodle.

- How much noodles, Tina? - Just one slice!

- One bunch? Okay. - Yes!

Aivan, tell me about the dish.

So we're gonna do a Vietnamese stir-fried beef.

- Yes? - It's called bo lúc lac, or shaken beef.

We're gonna do, like, a crunchy noodle basket.

And then we're gonna serve it with a pickled onion salad on top.

Yes, and when are you gonna to cook that beef?

We're gonna cook it kind of like at seven minutes left.

- It only needs a few minutes. - Gotcha. Okay.

Just make sure she's in tandem every step of the way, yes?

- Yes. - Good luck.

All right, let's do the purée. You draining?

- Ready to strain! - Drain!

Look at the way Jesse and Jessica

are draining that butternut squash at the same time.

- But they're in sync. - Absolutely.

- How much cream? - How much what?

- Jess? - What?

- How much cream? - A tablespoon.

Okay. Do you have to yell at me?

Is he for real? I don't have to yell?

Julio, we need to work on the sauce!

We're going to work on that sauce in a minute.

- Let's get the steaks going so they need to rest. - All right.

So Julio and Rachel are making a seared venison loin.

They're making, with it, carrots.

Now, at 30 minutes,

the carrots were not even in the water or oven yet.

- So I'm worried. Large carrots. - Large carrots.

- Dear, oh, dear. - They were just taking the venison

- out of the package at 30 minutes. - Oh, man. Marinating?

- No. Packet. Nothing. - Oh, man. Oh, man.

And you know the secret of great venison.

It needs to rest for as long as it cooks.

- Ready to go on the steak? - Yes.

- Let's do it. - One, two, three.

Aivan, cut it in half! The meat!

- Half and in nine pieces! - Cut half and then cut in four!

Ooh. Damn. Tina and Aivan are not on the same page.

Tina's done this tiny dice of beef.

And Aivan has got this large, big, chunky style of beef.

So the portion size already is not gonna to be anywhere near the same.

- Azu! - Yes?

I'll begin the salsa macha.

I'm doing the potatoes. I'm, I'm, I'm...

My big worry is between Azu and Javier.

The communication is not good.

They've grabbed a hamachi fish

and they're coating it in a black mojo marinade.

They are also making a macha sauce,

but they didn't even pick up garlic, a staple in that sauce.

They're in trouble.

- Yes, you got it. - Louder than anything I've ever...

- Just over 15 minutes to go. - Yes, boss!

- Let's go. - Whoo!

- Jess, I'm blanching the kale. - All right.

- All right, Julio. - Yes, Chef.

Have we started that red wine sauce yet?

Julio, we need to start working on the sauce.

Okay, but we have to finish the steak first.

- We have to multitask. - There's no wine in there yet?

- No, Chef. - You're reducing that down. It takes time.

- You need to get that reduced. - You're right.

Come on. That sauce.

15 minutes to go, and that sauce needs reducing.

I might as well talk to the fridge.

- Julio, the sauce? - Yes, mi amor.

Julio is not listening. There is a clock ticking,

and we need to make sure we get the timing right.

And that sauce needs to start cooking and reducing.

I'm really worried that we're gonna give those judges some raw wine as a sauce.

- Julio! Get the wine reducing. - I'm getting there right now, Chef.

- Please! Julio! - Julio!

What do your tomatoes look like?

Julio, the sauce?

Julio! Get the wine reducing!

- I'm getting there right now, Chef. - Please.

- Beautiful, Chef. Thank you, Chef. - Come on, let's go.

- Oh, my God. - Julio?

- Yes, mi amor. - One pan for the sauce, one pan for the mushrooms,

and let's get the mashed potato going.

Beautiful. Let's start cooking the shallots

and the garlic in a little bit of olive oil.

12 minutes to go. Come on.

- Tina, are you doing your noodles? - Yes!

- Make sure your oil is hot! - What?

How high is your heat, Tina?

This is insane. Tina's ahead of me,

and I am trying to catch up,

It's so hard to hear in there.

How is your noodle, Aivan?

Can't hear you, Tina.

I know how to fry the noodles by sight.

So hopefully I can match what Tina's doing.

Tina, did you make these bird nests?

- Yes. - Wow, do you think that her bird nests

- look exactly like this one? - Uh, I keep my finger crossed.

That bird nest and that bird nest are two different sizes.

You can't even make two of the same.

- How is she going to do it? - I try to tell her

make the fat one like me and the skinny one like you.

- Aivan! - Ha-ha! Good luck.

Thank you. Whew! I'm gonna go deaf.

- All right, Zach, the fish, the fish. - What, babe?

Butter and olive oil in the pan for the fish.

- I know! - Right, Michelle, how are you doing?

I think I'm doing okay, but time is creeping up, so...

Tell me about the dish.

We're making a potato and leek crusted snapper

with roasted tomatoes, wilted spinach,

asparagus, and a beurre blanc.

What's in the leeks and the potatoes?

Salt, pepper, a little bit of cayenne.

It's a complicated dish, but it could be a winner, right?

Now, with the final 10 minutes,

make sure you're in sync with the plate.

- Yes. - The plating needs to be identical, yes?

- Yes. Yes, Chef. - Are you ready for the trout?

No, not yet. Scoring!

We gotta get that on. Let me know when you're ready.

- Get the pan hot. - I'm not there yet! I'm not there yet!

- Hurry up! - Jessie, wait for me!

Garlic, herbs, and butter, yes.

- All right. - Okay.

I'm working on the potatoes.

Aivan, your auntie said to make a nest.

- Yes. - You have two different ones.

Which one do you think she would prefer?

I like that one better. It's got a better bowl.

Do you think her nests look like this nest?

- Um, I hope so. - Okay.

Now, this is a dish you've made in your family for generations,

- so there is like a... - It's a little different.

- Different? - Yeah, than we typically make it.

- Why would you do it different today? - Uh, I'm not sure.

All right, how are you cooking it, the beef?

- It's gonna be really quick and really hot. - Good luck.

- Thank you, Joe. - Jess, we gotta get this trout on!

- Trout's in. - Four minutes to crisp.

- Four minutes! - All right.

- Azu, I put the fish now. - Okay!

- Four minutes inside. - Give me one second, one second, one second.

Come on, Azu. Talk to me.

Zach?

- What? - How much butter in the beurre blanc?

Like, probably three, four tablespoons.

- Okay. - My oil is smoking!

- Now, put the meat in. - Heard you.

- Ready? - Put the meat in now. Go!

- Okay, I'm going. Whoo! - There it's...

- That's the fire you need right there. - Look at that.

Look at that. Both at the same time. I love it.

Okay, Tina, it's done! Put it in a bowl on the side!

- Okay, now do the salad! - Okay!

Azu, put the fish on the pan. Azu, do you hear me?

- Okay. - Go.

Azu and Javier are in a mess.

Javier's fish is in, Azu's fish is out.

They are on completely two different islands right now.

- Nothing in tandem. - Wild.

- Azu, what are you doing now? - Fish is in the pan, Javier.

Julio, my shallots burned. I have to start again.

Go, go, go, go, go.

My big worry is Julio and Rachel.

We have literally eight minutes to go.

There's no reduction of the red wine. Nothing is reduced.

Honestly, they may end up serving hot raw wine instead of sauce.

- Venison needs sauce. - Yes!

Everything's chaotic right now.

Oh, no.

It's in the pan! It's really hot!

- Pull it off at medium rare. - It's almost done.

- I pulled it off the heat! - Jess, thyme in the butter.

- Thyme in the butter baste. - Oh, hello.

- How's your fish, Zach? - It's looking great.

Michelle and Zach, they've got a complicated dish.

They're encrusting their fish with this leek and potatoes.

I mean, if it comes off, it's going to be good.

- It's a nice idea. - It's a really nice idea.

But it's a tough one to pull off,

especially when you can't see and barely hear your partner.

Is the beurre blanc on the heat when I put in the butter?

- What? - Is the beurre blanc on the heat when I put in the butter?

- What? - Oh, my God.

Five minutes to go.

We want identical plates.

- Jesse, we need plates! - Jess, I got a plate.

- Okay. - It's a circle. Grayish blue.

Looks like a ramekin on the outside.

- Got it. - Green plate, babe!

- Green? - Green and matte.

- Okay, what plate? - Yes, flat beige plate, Rachel.

- Jesse, what are we doing? - All right, grab a swoosh.

- Okay. - Pile the greens in the middle.

- Where does the purée go again? - I didn't hear you.

Tell me the purée! Tell me the purée!

- The purée's at the top. - Purée's at top? All right.

- I kind of get it. - Two minutes to go!

- Let's go! - Zach, tomatoes on the left?

Tomato on the left!

- Remember, plating is skin up. - The beautiful skin up.

- I don't understand you. - 60 seconds to go!

- Five pieces of tomato! - Mine are four piece!

- Four? - Yes!

- Okay. - Zach, how many asparagus?

- Two, two, two! - Some lemon over the top, Zach!

Jesse, two asparagus on the side?

Two on the left and two on the right.

30 seconds to go! Come on!

We got 30 seconds. Make it pretty.

Put the steak up on the veggies,

and then the sauce is gonna go in the middle.

- Yeah? All right. Put in the sauce now?

Put it in the sauce now, yes.

Salsa macha between 12 and 2!

Okay, 12 and 2. Heard, heard!

- Ten, nine, eight... - Let's go, mi amor!

- Don't forget the sauce! - Cilantro on top!

Make it pretty, make it pretty.

- Potatoes on the left. - Full circle.

- Full circle! - Two, one.

- And stop. - Hands in the air.

Oh, my God!

That was so ridiculous.

This was harder than I thought.

We lost a lot of time trying to communicate,

and hopefully, Julio plated the same.

Uh, it's hard.

And I just worry that Aivan doesn't have the same as mine.

Well done, all of you.

Now, for the first time tonight,

you all get to see how good or bad these dishes turned out.

Please come down to the front.

Thank you.

- Hi. What's up? - So happy to see you.

Excuse me.

Right, first up, Jessica and Jesse.

Our biggest concern right now,

are these dishes gonna mirror each other?

There were a few moments where I didn't exactly understand

what Jesse was trying to convey, and I'm really hoping

that we ended up on the same page.

Let's take a look.

Oh...

Yeah, I mean,

the way the asparagus are laid

are a little different. But honestly, pretty in sync.

- Thank you, Chef. - Please describe your dish.

We made a pan-seared ocean trout,

a butternut squash purée,

wilted kale with bacon and mushrooms,

some sautéed asparagus tips, and a lemon vinaigrette.

Visually, they look beautiful, but the purées,

one looks finessed.

Jessica, yours look a little bit rough,

and a bit too heavy on the sear on that ocean trout.

But both dishes look very, very appealing.

- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you, Chef.

Shall we?

Ah, nice.

- Ah, nicer. - Good job.

The dishes are delicious.

Both ocean trouts are cooked beautifully,

and the purées are delicious.

It's very hard mixing a vinaigrette with a purée,

because sometimes you don't need the vinaigrette.

But it warrants the acidity, and there's a lot of skill.

And tonight, you brought that. Well done.

Thank you, Chef.

I really enjoyed the kale, bacon, mushroom.

I think this is a really good dish.

I mean, you guys did a lot of work.

- Thank you, Chef. - Thank you, Chef.

I agree. I think the dishes are delicious.

The differences are primarily aesthetic.

If you put these dishes under my nose blind,

I wouldn't tell the difference

between eating one and the other.

- Great job. - Thank you, Joe.

Thank you.

The flavor was very, very, very the spirit of the dish.

Very good.

Next up, please, Tina and Aivan. Let's go.

I'm actually not feeling super confident.

I'm hoping that they look the same.

But we're in the top five right now,

so good is not good enough.

Let's see how you did, shall we?

Okay.

Yeah? They look similar.

- Describe the dish, please. - We made bo lúc lac,

which is a Vietnamese shaken beef,

served over top of a fried noodle nest

with a pickled onion salad and sautéed mushrooms.

Shaken beef, but where's the beef?

It's in the nest.

Honestly, I am underwhelmed. This dish looks sparse.

Also, I do see a little bit of difference

in density of the noodles.

Aivan, yours look full, fluffy.

Tina, it does look a little drier.

Shall we?

So there's the beef.

Let's start off with the positives first, shall we?

Beef on both dishes is delicious.

The problem I've got is the level of balance.

Every time I've had this dish, beef is in abundance.

There is no way on Earth you could eat all those noodles.

There's too many of them. And it's such a shame

because it's like we've got caught up with the style over the substance.

You're trying to get a spot into the semifinals,

and it just feels like you've gone backwards.

Beef is inconsistent throughout.

As you can see, you have Tina's cut of beef, which is smaller.

Aivan's cut by me is more appropriate, the larger style.

So they're both good, but the differences are disappointing.

- Okay. - And I guess your elevation part

was simply using the noodles instead of going rice.

But I'm sort of missing that. And right now I'm like,

someone's going to semifinal here,

- and is this the level? - No.

- Thank you both. - Thank you.

Wow. What a shame.

You're gonna play with tradition,

- you got to respect the essence of the dish. - Yeah.

All right, next up, Michelle and Zach.

Good luck.

This challenge was excruciatingly hard.

I'm not sure how much we worked together,

what was lost in translation, what wasn't.

So I'm just hoping that our dishes look and taste identical.

All right, Michelle, Zach, how do y'all think it went?

It was very loud. It was really hard to hear each other.

Yeah, it was like trying to talk to your friend

- on the other side of a mosh pit. - Yeah.

All right, so you ready to see?

- We're ready. - Yeah.

All right, Michelle, Zach, you ready to see?

- We're ready. - Yeah.

- Oh, wow. - Wow.

You are definitely in sync.

Go ahead and describe your dish.

We made a potato leek crusted snapper

with a lemon beurre blanc, wilted spinach,

blistered tomatoes, and asparagus.

The dishes look great. They look identical.

And let's just remind ourselves how hard this is.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

But it's almost like your side by side.

I hope it tastes as good as it looks.

- Me, too. - Yeah, me, too.

Fish looks good.

- Both fish are cooked beautifully. - Thank you.

But, Zach, your asparagus is a little bit more undercooked.

A little bit too woody. But really smart use of that spinach underneath.

It's got that zinc and that nice irony flavor.

And the sweetness of those tomatoes are stunning.

- It's bloody good. - Thank you, Chef.

They feel like they're definitely the same.

Almost like the same person made it.

There are a couple of differences here.

You taste a little bit of a little char here in Zach's plate.

But I see more of the char here in Michelle's plate.

- Yeah. - I tasted Michelle's beurre blanc,

and I thought it was excellent.

And the only thing that I could say,

once I tasted Zach's, it was even better.

- Thank you so much. - Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, really good.

It's nice to see that consistency

on the beurre blanc on both plates.

- Yeah. - Thank you.

Okay, next, Azu and Javier.

I'm so nervous because it's a challenge that you need to communicate...

Yes, but as long as the fish is right,

we can make it to the semifinals.

- Shall we have a look? - Yes.

- Wow. - Plates look very similar.

- It's identical. - Mm.

- Yeah. - Okay, please describe your dish.

We made hamachi in black mojo with mashed potatoes,

asparagus in a citrus sauce,

carrots in a maple sauce, and a salsa macha.

This looks very nice.

I mean, there's some obvious differences.

Azu, you chose to serve the hamachi skin side down.

And, Javier, you chose to put it skin side up.

- Yes, sir. - So I'm just curious, what's the right way?

- For me, it's skin down. - For you?

- Skin up. - Jeez.

Azu, when you take the time to get the skin crispy,

- you want to leave the skin side up. - Yeah.

So on the hamachi, how do you want it cooked?

Medium.

Okay. Azu, your hamachi looks properly cooked.

Javier, unfortunately, your hamachi looks overcooked.

But let me try it.

Azu, your fish is cooked beautifully,

but then you've got this rubbery sort of gelatinous bit of skin

that's just... you want it out of your mouth.

And sadly, Javier, you've hammered your fish.

It's dry. Hamachi, it dries out really quickly

if it's not handled properly.

So when that thing goes dry, man, it is dry.

Above all that, the dish tastes disconnected.

Such a shame, because for the visual impact,

- the dishes looked good. - Yeah.

- The taste aspect is miles apart. - Boy, that's brutal.

I will say Javier's plate of mashed potatoes are delicious.

Azu's, it is so salty. Very, very hard to eat.

Unfortunately, these dishes taste very different.

I find that Azu's dish is aggressively seasoned.

Javier's dish is generally under-seasoned.

- Very disappointing. - Thank you.

The dishes, at the end of the day, tasted very different.

- One from another. Very different. - Yeah. Yeah, without a doubt.

- And finally, Rachel and Julio. - All right.

Please bring your dishes up. Let's go.

I'm a little concerned.

We started that sauce way too late,

and I'm afraid it's not gonna have the right consistency

in any of the dishes.

Right. Let's see how you both did.

- Oh, dear. - Okay. A little different.

Different sauce, definitely.

So describe the dish for me, please.

Chef, it's a pan-seared venison loin,

creamy mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms,

roasted carrots, and red wine sauce.

Visually, Rachel, your sauce doesn't look anywhere near finished.

It looks like raw red wine. And, Julio,

it looks like you've got no reduction in your sauce.

Venison's gamey. It needs a sauce.

- I'm sorry. - Look, I would say one positive thing

that these medallions of venison look like they could have

come out of the same sauté pan.

- Thank you, Joe. - Um, temperatures,

- Rachel, what have you gone for? - Mid-rare, Chef.

- I've gone mid-rare as well, Chef. - You've gone mid-rare.

Julio, I'm gonna go with yours first.

Please be mid-rare.

Oh, boy.

Julio, I'm gonna go with yours first.

Please be mid-rare.

It's just above mid-rare. Closer to medium.

Okay.

That's a perfect mid-rare.

The seasoning on both dishes is on point.

But, Rachel, you have more richness in your purée.

And the cook on the venison is exquisite.

Rachel, the cook on your venison

elevates it really to a gourmet level.

The sauces, if I could put those two sauces together,

the fatness and the reduction here and the red wine of here,

I'd have a perfect sauce

because each one has what the other one's missing.

- Mm-hmm. - Okay.

Rachel, I really enjoyed getting that spoonful

of the richness of the potatoes with the steak.

Julio, I really enjoyed the mushrooms here.

The seasoning on the steak is delicious,

even though it's medium.

Thank you.

- Good job, guys. - Thank you.

Now, we need a very, very important discussion.

Please, make your way around to the front and give us a moment.

- Well, that was a challenge and a half, right? Yeah. - Yeah, yeah.

Rachel and Julio's venison, it needed a vibrant sauce.

- Yeah, they missed some of the components of the dish. - Yeah.

But the seasoning was very consistent throughout.

- Zach and Michelle. - There's no way

you could have told me they weren't side by side.

- Yeah. Jesse and Jessica? - Absolutely.

- Oh, my God. - Flavor-wise, they were very much on point.

Absolutely. Javier and Azu.

- They were missing communication. - Yeah.

If you took the best component of each dish to create one,

it wouldn't even be good enough.

I'm shocked with Tina and Aivan.

The beef was fine, but the dish itself

- missed the mark. - Mm-hmm.

We're all in agreeance? Semifinal?

- Yep. - Yeah.

Tonight, Joe, Tiffany, and I felt that there were two duos

that really deserved their spot into the semifinal.

Those duos are...

- Michelle and Zach. - Oh, my God.

- And Jesse and Jessica. - Yes!

Congratulations.

You're through to semifinals.

Head up to the safety of the balcony.

Congratulations.

- We're top four. We're top four. - Crazy.

Good job, guys.

I'm not surprised to be heading up to the balcony

with Jess and Jesse.

We went head-to-head with them at the start,

so, you know, it feels kind of like poetry.

Well done. Congratulations. - Thank you, Chef.

- Thank you. - Now, Joe, Tiffany, and I felt

there was another duo that the dish didn't hit all the right marks,

but the intentions were there.

The third duo into the semifinal is...

Rachel and Julio.

Head up onto the balcony.

Right. Only one more spot.

Now, Tina and Aivan, tonight you missed the mark

and fell a little short.

Javier and Azu, the right intentions,

but the whole dish didn't feel connected.

We discussed it at length, and in the end,

we felt that one duo has deserved the final spot

into the semifinal.

That duo is...

Tina and Aivan.

Congratulations.

You deserve it.

Head on up to the balcony.

Oh, boy.

We love you, guys.

- Azu and Javier, what a journey, honestly. - Yes.

You cook like a talented couple, and you're divorced.

And if there's one thing that we've understood,

that there is love after divorce through food.

And how well you brought up your son is exemplary.

- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.

- Family is always first. - Come up here and say goodbye.

Come on. Give it up for Azu and Javier.

To me, just being here from the beginning

among I don't know how many thousands of people

that applied, it's a dream.

Earning their aprons, Azu and Javier.

I think this competition changed positively our relationship.

Pull it, pull it, pull it.

- Careful. Slow, slow. - Yes.

Now we are closer, and I have a lot of respect for Azucena.

I feel extremely grateful

that I had the amazing opportunity

to cook in this kitchen,

and it's going to be something that we will tell our grandsons.

You know? It's so beautiful.

- Amazing! - Love you!

- Love you guys! - I love you!

Wow.

Next time,

it's the "MasterChef: Dynamic Duos" semifinal.

Look who's got the chef whites on!

The duos take on a familiar challenge...

- Keeping up with me. - But with a twist.

- Tag team style. - Uh-oh.

- Ooh, boy. - When Joe and I say "switch,"

you're gonna tag out with your partner.

Every five minutes, we'll tell you to switch.

Boy, oh, boy.

Let's go! In to the shallots.

Tilt the pan and flambé.

After that, three cloves of garlic.

Tina!

- Yes, baby. - Switch!

- Okay, Tina. Go, go. - Move, move, move, move.

- Into the oven we go. - Fat side down, into the oven.

- Put them in, Tina. - I got it.

- Oh, my gosh. - You've got to be patient and support your partner.

The feelings of frustration are not with Zach.

They're more with Gordon. Slow down! Please.

- Glaze your duck. - Faster.

- Purée off. - Oh, my God!

- Uh-oh. - Get your little flowers.

- The flowers! - Just calm down. Oh, my God.